If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

NFL owners meetings proposed rule changes

Giving the replay official in the booth the authority to determine replay outcomes, rather than the referee on the field.

Modifying the horse-collar tackle rules to remove the exception for quarterbacks in the pocket.

Applying the postseason overtime rule to the regular season, meaning no team can by kicking a field goal on its first possession.

Adding a loss of down penalty for illegally kicking the ball.

Making 'too many men in the huddle' penalties a dead-ball foul.

Modify the 'defenseless player' interpretation to include players who receive 'crackback' blocks.

Replay Official will initiate reviews of certain "turnovers" throughout the game. Expands reviewable plays to include the on-field ruling of a runner out of bounds when the recovery of a fumble occurs in the action following the fumble, and the on-field ruling of an incomplete pass when a backward pass is recovered in the action following the backward pass.

Proposed Bylaw Changes

Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day on a day other than Sunday, will be customary business days for the purpose of Player Personnel transactions.

Moving the trading deadline to the Tuesday after the eighth weekend.

Increase the offseason roster limit to 90 players.

Eliminate first preseason cutdown to 75 players if roster limit remains at 80.

Permit teams to return to their Active List one player who is placed on Injured Reserve after their first regular-season game.

Gives the team an additional roster spot for a player who has been diagnosed
with a concussion.

One of the ones I'd like to see implemented is the 8 wk injured reserve option. That would come in handy for guys who are going to be out an extended period of time but not necessarily the entire year.

The way the Steelers have been going with injuries early in the year, this one could be good.

The NFL has adopted its sudden-death overtime rules used in the postseason for all games and will review all turnovers in 2012.

The overtime structure was first used in the Denver Broncos overtime playoff win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in January. It stipulates that both teams have the opportunity to possess the ball once in overtime unless the initial receiving team scores a touchdown.

A proposal by the Buffalo Bills to dramatically change the process of instant replay to put all plays in question in the hands of an NFL replay official in the press box was turned down. But the competition committee did approve a proposal to review all turnovers with no coaching challenge necessary.

The NFL approved a similar rule for the 2011 season, the first year in which all scoring plays were reviewed by officials.
Another change considered but tabled was adjusting the timing of the NFL trade deadline. The league's October deadline typically occurs around the sixth week of the season. There is support for moving the deadline back to the Monday after Week Eight and a vote could be taken before the start of the 2012 season.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The Steelers' overtime proposal passed Wednesday at the NFL owners meetings, but they fell short in their bid to add more protection for quarterbacks.

A proposal that would have prohibited dragging down a quarterback from behind while he is in the pocket received just four other votes. Proposed rules changes need at least 24 votes to pass.
The Steelers want to make horse-collar tackles in the pocket illegal.
As much protection as quarterbacks receive, the Steelers contend, it doesn't make sense to leave them vulnerable to getting dragged down from behind.

"I still think there's hope we'll get it passed at some point," Steelers president Art Rooney II said. "If we can get at least some members of the competition to take it seriously, then we have a chance."
The overtime rule that passed means teams getting the ball first after regulation can only win on their first possession by scoring a touchdown. That applied only to the playoffs last season.

A proposal that would have prohibited dragging down a quarterback from behind while he is in the pocket received just four other votes. Proposed rules changes need at least 24 votes to pass.
The Steelers want to make horse-collar tackles in the pocket illegal.
As much protection as quarterbacks receive, the Steelers contend, it doesn't make sense to leave them vulnerable to getting dragged down from behind.

Makes zero sense to me that this didn't get passed...what's the downside?